Cavalli faces hitters for first time in 2025; López ready to pitch in game

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was one simulated inning against a couple of teammates on a back field with a few interested onlookers. Nothing to get too excited about.

For Cade Cavalli, though, this was a significant step toward the ultimate goal of regularly pitching for the Nationals this season.

Cavalli, still trying to make it all the way back from his March 2023 Tommy John surgery, faced live hitters this afternoon for the first time this spring. With José Tena and Juan Yepez taking turns in the batter’s box, Cavalli threw all of his pitches from the mound, impressing those hitters who had to dig in against him.

“Nasty,” said Yepez when asked how Cavalli looked. He was especially complimentary of the right-hander’s curveball, which induced a few swings and misses during the brief session.

Cavalli, by all accounts, is healthy at this point. His frustrating 2025 season included three minor league rehab starts, several simulated games and multiple shutdowns for various reasons. He ended the year feeling good but had run out of time to pitch in a game.

The Nationals are confident the 2020 first-round pick is fully healthy now, but they also know he’ll have to be on a tight innings limit this season, even if everything goes perfectly. With that in mind, they purposely held him back this spring, stressing that once he begins to pitch in games, they want to make sure he can finish the season without being shut down.

The club still has to figure out what exactly happens to Cavalli when spring training ends. He’ll accompany the team to D.C. for Monday’s exhibition game and annual gala. After that, he’ll most likely come back to Florida and resume building his arm up.

“We’re going to get him here and build him up as if it were spring training,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He’ll start off here in the beginning. But if everything goes well, he could be pitching for an affiliate probably by May.”

* Jorge López appears to be ready to return to game action after dealing with a left hip issue.

The veteran reliever hasn’t pitched in a Grapefruit League game since March 10, with Martinez revealing this week it was due to the hip. López, though, was able to throw off a bullpen mound Wednesday with no issues.

Barring any setbacks, he’ll pitch in relief Friday night against the Marlins. And as long as that goes well, he should be fine for Opening Day.